How to ask the AI for changes

Better prompts get better results. The short guide to writing requests the AI nails on the first try.

The AI is good at building what you describe. So describing it well saves you credits, time, and frustration.

Here's what we've learned from watching thousands of builds.

The two-line rule

Most good prompts fit in two sentences:

1. What you want (a thing)
2. What you want it to do (a behavior)

Example: Add a checkout button to the product page. When clicked, it should take the customer to a payment screen.

You don't need to specify colors, sizes, where the button goes, or what code to write. The AI handles all of that.

Be specific about the thing

Vague: Make it better. Better: Make the homepage feel more premium — bigger photos, less text, more whitespace.

The AI is honest with you when a prompt is too broad. It'll often ask a clarifying question rather than guess. Answer those — they save credits.

Reference real things in your app

If your app already has a Customers page, say On the Customers page, add a filter for active subscribers — not add a filter on the second page from the left.

Patterns that work

Adding a feature:

Add [feature]. It should let users [action]. Show it [where].

Fixing a bug:

When I [action], [thing] should [behavior] but instead [actual behavior]. Please fix.

Redesigning:

Redesign [page]. Keep [what to preserve]. Change [what to change]. Inspiration: [reference site].

Adding data:

Add a [thing] to each [other thing]. It should be [type — text, number, date, photo, etc.] and [required / optional].

Connecting an integration:

Connect [service name]. When [event happens in app], [action in service]. (e.g. When a new order comes in, post to our Slack #sales channel.)

Patterns to avoid

• Specifying code or technology: skip implementation details like use this library or save it to the database. The AI handles all of that. Telling it how to build something often makes things worse, not better.
• Multiple big asks in one prompt: do them one at a time. You'll get cleaner results and easier rollbacks if something goes sideways.
• Vague comparisons: Like Instagram is too broad. With a tiled photo grid like Instagram's profile page is useful.

When the AI gets it wrong

It happens. When it does:

1. Tell it what's wrong — The save button is doing nothing when I click it
2. Roll back if needed — every change is a version you can revert (click the history icon)
3. Try a different angle — sometimes a fresh prompt works better than four corrections in a row

Save your best prompts

Once you find a phrasing that works for your kind of asks, save it as a starter. The editor has a starter chip system — pin your go-to prompts so they're always one tap away.

What to read next

• Plan mode vs build mode — when to use which
• When things go wrong — what to do when a build fails